A Tale of Two Dealerships, Pt. 2

A Tale of Two Dealerships, Pt. 2

Get the full backstory—check out Part I here!

Though she didn't get pressured into a bad deal on a vehicle she didn't want, my friend "Cailin" was still stuck with an old car that had shoddy brakes, balding tires, and vibrated heavily whenever she pressed on the gas. Time to regroup and go to plan B.

Do Doctors Earn Enough?

Do Doctors Earn Enough to Make Ends Meet?

Or, The Very Definition of Lifestyle Inflation

We all know that physicians must go through many years of expensive schooling, as well as grueling residencies and tough exams, before being certified to practice medicine. And, once they finish this long ordeal, doctors finally begin to make generous salaries upwards of $200,000 or more every year.

But, considering the onerous burden of student loans and the relatively short careers (thus impairing their lifetime earning power), are these salaries actually enough for doctors to make ends meet?

A Tale of Two Dealerships, Pt. 1

A Tale of Two Dealerships, Pt. 1

A friend of mine, who we'll call "Cailin" (not her real name) went shopping for a new car in 2014. I tried to talk her into a used car instead...didn't work. She knew what model she wanted, had done some research, and I think she made a solid choice. Now, to find a dealership...

Image from greencarreports.com

Arbitration agreement? Run away...

Useful advice from Steve Lehto, a consumer attorney and car buff who often contributes helpful advice to prospective car buyers on Jalopnik. This man seems to have a lot of sense, judging by the many articles I've read by him.

Here's why arbitration tends not to work as well in practice as it does in theory:

http://carbuying.jalopnik.com/avoid-getting-screwed-by-the-arbitration-trap-1703849839

'Afford' vs. 'Can pay for'

Many people are afraid to say it, or can't find words for it, or assume that people implicitly understand this concept. It is absolutely the underlying principle necessary for financial responsibility, and for your personal financial well-being. 

And it is this:

Just because you have the money to pay for something, does not mean that you can afford it! 

Image from Ford.com website; the 2014 Ford Focus costs around $20k